Waean Deities
The nation of Waea would be nothing if the Door of the Abyss was not opened, and the residents know that more than anyone. The Abyss gives them warmth and shelter, as well as magical advancements beyond their wildest dreams. And it is not just the Abyss that benefits them, but those who live inside of it as well. The primordial beings sometimes glimpsed writing within the infinite blackness, sleeping but still aware, their dreams projecting their consciousnesses and influence throughout all of Rigel Prima. This is the Abyssal Pantheon, also called The Old Ones, or The Fathers. Note: While they may be referred to as male or female, the truth is that all of the gods are genderless, simply choosing forms to their liking, whether they be male, female or monstrous. Ahriman, The Lord of the Abyss There is no one in Waea would has not at least heard of Ahriman. He is the chief deity of the Abyssal Pantheon, and the most worshiped god of them all. It is said the first king of Waea, Mi-Tung-Ki, had spoken to Ahriman directly to open the Door of the Abyss, and granted a fraction of his immense power. Ahriman is the master of all of the other Deities in the pantheon, and vastly more powerful than all of them combined. Worshipers Being the most popular god in the pantheon, a vast majority of the population worships him. He has the most churches dedicated to his greatness, and there is a shrine to him in many Waean homes. The most common way Waeans worship him is through sacrifice, usually by giving up luxuries for periods of time. Dogma Respect the Abyss, as it is the embodiment of nothingness. All that exists will eventually cease to exist, so to respect and worship the finality of the universe is also to respect and worship Ahriman and his brothers. Sacrifice what you enjoy to experience what it is like to have nothing, tossing it into the Abyss and letting the world draw ever closer to the end of everything. Appearance Those who have glimpsed Ahriman within the Abyss have described him as a vaguely humanoid, infinitely large mass of purple smoke containing two glowing, purple spots that resemble eyes. It is rumored that those who he lays eyes upon will cease to exist instantly. Erebus, The Father of Shadows Erebus is the god of shadow, darkness and night. It is believed to be by his will that day turns to night and darkness hides what it needs to. He is a lesser-worshiped and known god of the pantheon, but nonetheless is believed to play a large part in the world. Worshipers Teachings about Erebus are only officially taught to students and trainees of The Black Hand, Waea's elite army of assassins, people outside of the group such as thieves can be taught via word of mouth. He has no churches or places of worship, his followers instead giving him praise through their work. Assassins might whisper his name the moment before a kill, or a thief might pray to him to conceal his presence in the shadows during a heist. Dogma Never follow hope or promises of success. Only trust yourself and what you can do; Never rely on anyone else. The dark is a time to act, not wait. It is forbidden to strive to better your lot in life or to plan ahead save when directly overseen by the faithful of the Dark Deity. '' Appearance Erebus is believed to appear as a formless mass of black, slimy hair, in the middle of which is a grinning maw lined with blunt, human-like teeth that grind together incessantly. It is rumored that those who hear the grinding of his teeth are rendered blind. Nox, The Dead God Nox, according to legend, was once a petty, selfish and vain lesser spirit of the mortal world. He was very disliked by his kin, and when they finally betrayed him and cast him into the Abyss to take his land, he was so filled with hatred and spite that Ahriman saw fit to grant him status as one of his brothers, transforming him into the Dead God, master of death and hateful actions. Worshipers Nox's domains are death, and necromancy, and those that practice those activities tend to worship him. Necromancers, witches, and morticians/embalmers often pray to him for guidance, assistance or to curse someone. Churches dedicated to Nox are often located next to, inside of or even underneath graveyards, and decorated with bones. Clergymen serving the Dead God at these places wear a uniform of a long, purple robe with a black headdress, using bone necklaces and arcane sigils as decoration. Dogma ''Life and death are the twin faces of eternal existence. To surrender to either one is to resign oneself to obscurity. True power lies in the twilight zone between life and death. By seeking to explore and extend the mortal condition and form - even mortal life itself - knowledge of the world and its infinite complexity is extended. Let no one interfere with the pursuit of such research, for the end result will more than justify the necessary sacrifices along the path. Knowledge is power, and knowledge of life and death brings power over all beings, living and unliving. Appearance Those who claim to have seen Nox often agree that he appears to be rather small compared to the others, possessing a height close to that of a giant - around 12 feet tall - and a generally human-like appearance. Dressed in huge black robes and wearing a closed-faced helmet, his true form cannot be seen. He always carries a book that is rumored to contain the secrets of life, death and everything in between. Selene, The Frostmaiden Waea is a very cold nation, its winters reaching every inch of the borders and the summers never feeling quite like Summer. It is only natural for a god of Ice to reside here. Worshipers Selene is worshiped by a large number of Waeans, especially the barbarians that live outside of the city walls. Ice mages, barbarians and even a few ice dragons have been witnessed paying their respects to the Frostmaiden. Those who worship her often do so by praying in the midst of blizzards or practicing ice magic in her name. Some even go as far as to carve her sigil into their flesh, which takes the form of ice or crystal embedded in their skin. Churches dedicated to Selene are often located outside of the city's walls, crafted out of pure ice by powerful ice mages. Clergymen dedicated to her wear the uniform of a pure white robe with a light blue sash hanging off their shoulder, as well as having her sigil carved onto their forehead and the backs of their hands. Being a rather "active" god, worshipers of Selene are given boons by her. All who pledge themselves to her glory will be completely unaffected by the cold. Some even claim she has shown herself to her followers, and even spoken to them. Dogma Cover all the lands with ice. Quench fire wherever it is found. Let in the winds and the cold; cut down windbreaks and chop holes in walls and roofs that my breath may come in. Work in darkness to hide the cursed sun so that the chill I bring may slay. Take the life of an arctic creature only in great need, but slay others at will. Appearance Selene is known to take the form of a stunningly beautiful, pale woman, dressed in a white gown and veil that covers her eyes, and sporting four massive wings on her back. The gown seems to be infinitely long, hanging off of her gigantic figure and falling into the Abyss until it fades out of sight. She is said to be gentle, loving and considerate to her worshipers, but also cold and bitter as the most severe blizzard to her enemies. Hark, The Master Hark is a god who is concerned with the preservation and advancement of the magical arts. Unlike the other gods in the pantheon, Hark wasn't always a deity, but once was a mortal man. He was an incredibly gifted wizard, and one of the first on all of Rigel Prima. His spellbooks and memoirs were the very things that paved the road to Waea's prosperity in the future. After his mortal demise, Ahriman took interest in the genius of the man and granted him godhood. Now he watches over all wizards, witches, sorcerers and mages, ensuring that his knowledge is forever preserved and learnt from. Worshipers Unsurprisingly, the primary followers of Hark's teachings are spellcasters and scholars. Many of his worshipers share his desire to advance and preserve the magical arts, and it is because of this that his churches are more like libraries than places of worship. The churches of Hark are often simple in appearance, taking the appearance of tall, rectangular stone buildings with few windows. Inside are walls lined with bookshelves reaching to the ceiling. The clergymen of Hark often wear gray, thick robes with minimal decoration for maximum comfort. Dogma Teach the wielding of magic, and dispense scrolls, items and spellbooks throughout Waea that the use and knowledge of magic may spread. Encourage ''everyone to try their hand at wielding magic. Drive home the lesson that with magical power comes grave responsibility, and live that lesson yourself. Try to gain a copy of every new spell, spell variant or magical idea you encounter without regard for its worth or importance-and make a copy of that copy for a temple library. Train others in what you know of magic, not hoarding your knowledge for yourself, and encourage creativity in magic in all ways and at all times.'' Appearance Hark appears as a mass of twinkling stars to those who see him. He is said to be kind and encouraging, and has been said to even enjoy telling and hearing jokes to those he appears before. If they is extra lucky, he may even help with a spellcaster's studies. Category:Waea Category:Lore Category:Gods Category:Religion